SI's Peter King reports that both D'Qwell Jackson and Joe Thomas were upset by the firing. Jackson told King that the firing was "crazy," saying:

"On the bus back to Pittsburgh, [defensive teammate] Jabaal Sheard showed me a text from his agent that said Chud could be fired. I said, ‘No way. No way.’ After the Trent Richardson trade and our quarterback injuries, I thought for sure he’d get a pass. Not one year. Come on. One year? There’s no way. Chud was good for us, good for the team. He came in and did everything right, I thought."

Another player went after owner Jimmy Haslam:

I am texting with numerous Browns players and their emotions range from bewildered to furious